Influences on Community College Students' Educational Plans

Byline: Ernest T. Pascarella (1), Gregory C. Wolniak (2), Christopher T. Pierson (2) Keywords: community colleges; degree plans; college effects Abstract: This study analyzed data from 285 students attending 5 community colleges to identify the institutional and college experience variables influencing end-of-first-year educational degree plans. Controlling for an extensive array of important confounding influences, the estimated average precollege degree plans of students at the community college one attended had significant, positive total and direct effects on an individual student's end-of-first-year overall educational degree plans and plans to obtain at least a bachelor's degree. In the prediction of end-of-first-year overall educational degree plans, there were significant conditional effects involving sex, race, and precollege degree plans. Author Affiliation: (1) Education Policy &amp Leadership Studies, The University of Iowa, N491 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242 (2) The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa Article History: Registration Date: 03/10/2004